Temporary Insanity
by SpyralHax
Summary: Something happened between Gintoki and Kagura, and she heads off to Shinpachi's place. Could this be the end of the Yorozuya? Gintoki x Kagura
1. Chapter 1

**Part 1: Hurt**

**Rating: K**

**Pairing: Gintoki x Kagura**

**Alright, simple explanation for this one. Wanted to do a little sort of practice run with dramatic/angsty story for my major ongoing story. Kagura is feeling sad as she makes her way towards Shinpachi's dojo. The first of probably 3 parts, and definitely the shortest part. Basically Kagura's point of view, and it leaves the event intentionally vague. Let me know how I can improve it, so I can make the next 2 parts better. Also so I can edit if need be. Enjoy.

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Her purple parasol opened against the snowy sky, the girl walked idly down the street. All her usual energy seemingly evaporated into thin air, her footsteps felt heavy and lifeless. The crunch of snow under her feet grated painfully in her ears, watching the white substance move around her black boots.

Her furry companion walking alongside, his head cocked to the side as he seemed to look at her. Turning her head, she gave the oversized dog her best reassuring look, trying to smile warmly. But forcing the smile hurt, as much as the pure white snow at her feet. Looking at the soft whiteness all around her, the girl felt a tug on her heart, the hot tears beginning to fall for the first time that morning.

The lovely red hair falling loosely around her face, the trademark buns not pulled as cleanly as usual. The red coat draping down to her thighs seemed to provide little protection from the cold, her body shivering involuntarily as the salty water leaked from her crystalline eyes. She knew she looked like a mess, but didn't care. Having lost her refuge, there was only one place she could go now.

Reaching the large, thick walls of the Shimura dojo, Kagura felt an odd hesitation. She had been there many times before, but always under better circumstances. The tug on her heart transformed into a tight pinch, and she thought about what she was doing. Without realizing it, her hand had knocked on the large, heavy doors, the sound painful to her hearing.

She wanted to turn and run away, back to the place that had become her home, but knew she couldn't. As the door flung open, the girl tried to hide her face, turning her downcast expression down to the ground. The small snowflakes fell all around her, adding their small size to the already considerable amount on the ground.

"Kagura-chan? What are you doing here?" her bespectacled friend asked, the concern and surprise in his voice. Playing through the memory in her mind, Kagura watched a few tears fall from the tip of her nose, dropping into the snow at her feet. "Where's Gin-san?" That was the last straw, and a loud sob escaped the girl's lips as she threw herself into Shinpachi's arms, her tears flowing freely onto his shoulder.

The young teen looked at his friend in astonishment, uncertainly patting the girl's back as she sobbed, her body convulsing against his own. "What's wrong, Kagura-chan?" he asked once more, wrapping the girl in a comforting hug. After a few moments, the girl stepped back, wiping her nose on the sleeve of her jacket.

"Here, come inside before you catch a cold. I'll make some tea." he answered the girl's unasked question, motioning for her and the large dog to make their way into the dojo. As he closed the heavy doors, he turned back towards the main house, a single thought running through his head. _'This must be Gin's fault.'_ he thought to himself with absolutely no doubt. Nothing else, he figured, could upset Kagura so much.

Heading into the house to get something warm for his friend, Shinpachi wondered just what Gin had done to upset the girl so much. He thought that, after the incident with her father, that he had accepted the girl into his life. What could have changed? Grabbing a spare blanket, Shin turned back towards the large greeting room, his mind working through many scenarios.

"Here, take this and I'll be right back." Kagura nodded gratefully, wrapping the green piece of cloth around her body, the shivering slowly dying down as warmth coursed through her. She watched with some joy as Sadaharu made a place next to the girl, curling up into a useless ball of fluff. Kagura took a small joy in the steady breathing of the large dog, the occasional small yelp in his dreams.

As she listened to the subtle breathing of the large dog, Kagura looked lazily around the room, clutching tightly onto the blanket as though it were her only grounding to the world. The room was a decent upgrade from the small apartment that she had come to inhabit along with Gintoki. Memories of the lazy bum of a samurai flashed through her mind, her body shaking once more in despair and anger. How could he have been so cruel?

More time had passed than she realized, as Shinpachi made his way back into the room, taking a seat across from the girl at the small table. Reaching across, he handed the girl a steaming cup of tea, the aroma filling the room, calming the girl's nerves a bit. With a grateful smile to her friend, Kagura took a sip, letting the hot liquid warm her from the inside out.

"So…" Shinpachi started, an apparent torrent of emotions on his face as he looked worriedly at the girl. Reaching up from beneath the blanket, the girl wiped the marks of tears from her face, trying once more to smile reassuringly. And once more that morning, the smile pained her greatly, eliciting a wince where normally a mischievous giggle might sound.

"What happened?" he asked, steeling his expression as he watched the girl's reaction. His heart sank just a bit at the broken expression on her face, all her usual spunk completely gone. Whatever it was, it must have been something important.

"It's nothing." the girl lied, likely trying to convince herself more than her friend. She knew he was just worried about her, but deep down she knew there was only one person who could fix her current problem. But there was no way he would do that. At that thought, memories of a broken, abandoned childhood swept through her, the convulsion in her body increasing with each depressing memory.

The tears began to fall freely again, and Kagura silently cursed herself for her weakness. It shouldn't hurt as much as it did, and it shouldn't have been such a disappointment. Yet, whatever she told herself, it did hurt. The person she had respected most, trusted the most, had hurt her. The fragile heart that beat in her chest nearly broke, an almost audible crack echoing sickly in her ears.

"Kagura-chan!?" Shinpachi yelled, leaping from his seat over to the young girl, trying to wrap an arm around his friend. He wanted to do something, anything for the crying girl next to him. His eyes widened in surprise as she batted the hand away, turning her back towards him as she continued to sob. Shrinking back a bit, Shinpachi felt his fists tightening in anger.

Whatever had happened, it had hurt her more than Shin had ever thought possible. He had sometimes wondered what it would look like for Kagura to be sad. At this moment, he kicked himself for ever thinking such a thing. But as much as he figured that Gintoki had hurt the girl, Shin knew one thing with clarity.

Through their time together, Shinpachi had watched the tight bond form between Gintoki and Kagura, one that went far beyond employer/employee. Any joke Gin pulled, and prank he sprung on others, any gag he exploited for laughs, Kagura was the one to tag along. He remembered the hurt on her face as Gintoki had told her to go off with her father, the distant expression in her eyes when Gin had lost his memories.

As much as it pained him to see the girl cry, her shoulders heaving with each choked breath, Shinpachi knew he couldn't do anything to really help her. All he could do was offer her a warm place to rest her weary body, and hope Gin would realize his mistake before it was too late for any of them.

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**Wow, Kagura seems really broken up about what happened. Can even Gin fix the situation? Hints on how I can fix this story would be appreciated, since drama/angsty stuff is not something I generally enjoy writing. Next time, we get Gin's perspective, and a bit more explanation of what happened. Look forward to a REALLY fluffy story soon, just because I need to write one :P**


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2: Unspoken Suffering**

**Rating: K**

**Part 2 of this little story. This one focuses on how Gintoki is feeling after the incident, and it starts coming into view. Again, opinions on how to improve are always welcome. Enjoy the second part of mild angst, before the conclusion.

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**Letting himself fall unceremoniously onto the sofa, Gintoki leaned back as far as he could, his head almost completely upside down against the backside of the piece of furniture. His hair falling loosely downward, he let his eyes focus on the wall behind him. The magenta color provided no comfort to his tense body, as his heels began to tap against the hardwood floor, creating a sickening rapping sound.

Soon after, he brought his body into a more normal position. Hunched over a bit, he clasped his hands together in front of his face, the thumbs lightly tweaking the bridge of his nose. The morning had gotten off to a bad start, and had only gone downhill after he had awoken.

The familiar flashes of bright red were not present, making the place feel a great deal more lonely than usual. It had only been a few hours, but he found himself missing the energetic girl. The events of the morning played back through his mind, and he silently cursed himself for being so stubborn and stupid.

'_Then why don't you just leave!?'_ he still could not believe he had said that, and slapped a palm to his forehead in frustration. Sure, the two had argued many time before, usually ending with some kind of physical punishment. A hard whack on the back of the head, a flying kick to the face, or something like that. But this was the first time it had involved such a heated argument. No sooner had those words escaped his lips than he wished they could be taken back,

Gin remembered watching the girl's face drop, a sickening thud resounding in his heart. As Kagura had turned to walk out the door, he had simply turned his back, too stubborn to solve the situation. In his mind he had tried to reason that 'it was for the best' or 'I'll be fine on my own'. He kept telling himself those simple words, hoping that it would not be long before he started to really believe them.

Only a few hours later, the words were sounding more and more hollow to his mind, his thoughts refusing to move on from the situation in the morning. Seldom had he seen the girl so truly upset, as her temper had backed him into a corner. As tends to happen in heated arguments, both competitors lost their sense of reason, resorting to mindless insults and threats.

'… _just leave!?' _The words seemed to pierce the part of his heart where he was the most vulnerable. How could he have said something so cruel? There was no way that Kagura would just come bouncing back happily after that, he figured. Somehow, the reality of a life without the young teen seemed quite bleak. Looking around the lonely apartment, Gin saw traces of her presence all about, each one adding pressure to the light wound in his heart.

A small hole in the wall here. Small cracks in the furniture there. Results of the rough play that she enjoyed with her oversized dog. Pushing himself onto his feet, Gin headed towards the nearest such crack, running his fingers carefully over the small crevice, feeling his lips curl into a smile at the memory. Just as suddenly as the smile appeared, it dropped from his face, the fingers stopping over the center of the little piece of damage.

His carelessness had ensured that no such laughs would be enjoyed again, a thought that bothered him more than he had ever thought it might. Hanging his head in depression, the young man made his way back towards the couch, lying himself flat against the blue cushioning. Reddish eyes staring blankly upwards, he let his senses fade, trying in vain to focus on the flat ceiling above him.

Gintoki wondered if his old friends would laugh at him for becoming such a sap, so thrown off by the loss of a single companion. Her various smiles, from mischievous to teasing to genuinely warm splashed through his mind, each one bringing another memory of the young alien girl. The impossibly clear blue eyes seemed to shine through the darkness of his thoughts.

"When did she come to be so important to me?" he mused to himself in a deep frustration. The how and the why didn't matter just at that moment. He had done something unforgivable, and figured he would have to get past it on his own. But could he simply move on as though she had never mattered?

Bringing himself into a half sitting position, the young samurai let his fingers rustle the messy silver locks, frustrated at his restlessness. Normally he would simply just allow himself to enjoy a carton of strawberry milk, and maybe go scrounge up a chocolate parfait. But somehow he knew that neither of those things would help the current problem. With a frustrated click of the tongue, Gin decided he might as well get prepared for the day.

Heading into the bathroom, he felt a need to brush his teeth. The gunk from a night of sleep made his whole mouth feel awkward. Opening the light door to the small room, he saw his frazzled expression in the mirror, giving himself an accusing snicker. It was his own fault, he knew that. But she had overreacted too, hadn't she? "No use thinking about it now." he muttered unhappily to himself as he reached for the familiar cheap plastic handle.

As he took the toothbrush in hand, he let his eyes shift a bit to the right, watching the matching piece of oral care resting snugly against his hand. Letting go of his own, he took its red twin in his hand, feeling a sad grin on his face. "Damn it. Here too?" Looking at the cheap toothbrush in his hand, Gintoki wondered how many traces of the girl that he could look forward to coming across, and how many pings in the heart he would have to feel before he had moved on.

He wondered if he _could_ move on. Setting the toothbrush back in the glass cup, he listened to the almost painful clank as it settled in next to his own. Even their toothbrushes seemed to be together, so why weren't _they _together? A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he grabbed his toothbrush, hurriedly wetting it before adding the minty paste for cleansing the mouth.

He found himself scrubbing more vigorously than usual, thinking for a moment that he might have broken the surface of his gums. As he spit out the now white substance, Gin felt a small relief that, at least, one bad thing had been avoided on this miserable morning.

Making his way back out to the living room, he felt his stomach begin to grumble rebelliously, the little snacks he had eaten earlier not nearly enough for breaking the nighttime fast. Despite his present hunger, Gin didn't feel compelled to walk all the way to the kitchen just to cook something.

The thought of food involuntarily brought up memories of the young girl, and he cursed himself for his torturous mind. The messy way the Yato girl ate her rice, often finding stray grains on her cheeks after demolishing an entire cooker full of the simple food. And then Gintoki winced as he remembered the salted seaweed treat that the girl always ate, the dark brown always contrasting against her pale skin.

"Damn it…" he muttered to himself once more, plopping himself down roughly on the sofa once again. Nothing seemed to feel right in this place, and Gin found himself feeling restless once again. Only a minute after sitting, the heels of his feet were pounding loudly against the wooden floors. He realized all over again just how desperate things were when he was alone.

As his head rested against the backrest of the sofa, the silver haired young man let his thoughts wander, considering just how much damage he had done this morning. He had no doubt that Kagura would make her way to Shinpachi's dojo, and that the glasses wearing teen would immediately blame him for the problem. But more frightening than that was the prospect of his older sister finding out.

An involuntary shiver ran through his body, the face of the violent brunette flashing through his mind before quickly suppressing it. He had enough on his mind without having to think about his execution by the deceptively perky young woman. Images of his other friends and associates ran through his mind, wondering what each would think when they heard.

Would they be disappointed? Angry? Happy? He had never gotten really close to any of them, each one coming and going from his life with no fuss or after effect on him. But as he thought of them, the familiar happy face kept popping up, as though to remind him of what he had lost. Whatever else was going on, there was always two people beside him, and he knew that his own stupidity would be the undoing of that bond.

"That's for the best, right?" he asked aloud, eyes looking lazily upward, as though looking for some divine guidance, some godly answer to his question. With nothing else making noise in the small apartment, the clicking of the clock's hands as the time passed grated irritatingly on his nerves. The tick of each second seemed to last an eternity, and he found himself wondering about getting a digital clock.

Before long, time seemed to stop, his mind racing from one thought to another. He was so bored, he wished that something would happen. Anything at all would be alright. The silence and stillness of the small apartment seemed to be suffocating him, so Gin decided he should get out for a while. Maybe that would help calm his mind.

Slipping his arms through the white coat he wore for cold days, he grabbed the red scarf, draping it loosely around his neck. Once his usual black boots were on, he moved to open the door, inwardly cursing as he noticed the piles of snow upon the ground. Small flakes of the white substance hung lazily in the air, slowly drifting down to join their brothers and sisters on the ground.

"Just not my day, is it?" he asked, pointing a miserable gaze at the sky, a few small flakes landing on his face. Another lazy sigh, and he closed the door behind him, heading down the stairs. The crunch of the snow under his feet was almost painful, each one rubbing the nerves made raw through a whole morning of misery.

No thought ran through his mind, save for the purity of the white snow, as he walked idly through the streets. Occasionally giving his hands a rub, he tried to keep warm, finding the shivering in his body most uncomfortable.

As he passed a restaurant, the smell of cooked meat entered his nostrils, sending another uncomfortable grumbling to his stomach. Mouth watering, he scrounged through his pockets, producing a small amount of money. Looking at the cash, Gin thought for a second. Mentally going over the cost, he smiled casually as he had enough for two people.

The smile slowly cooled as the information ran through his mind, staring idly at the money in his hand. When was he going to get over it? His patience had never been his strong suit, and at this moment he cursed that character flaw. He wanted the end results now, not some undefined period of time down the road.

Feet planted firmly on the street, he turned his gaze weakly back to the gray sky, overcast with the clouds dropping snow. Who was he kidding? He just missed the crazy little alien girl. But how could he apologize to her appropriately? Nothing seemed to come to him before a flash of inspiration hit him. It was a gamble, but one he decided to be worth taking.

Slipping the money back into his pocket, he turned away from the restaurant, heading back towards the small shop that served as his home. Smirking more confidently, he quickly made his way into the building, feeling the warmth as he passed through the small rooms. Reaching his Japanese style room, he rummaged through the nearby dresser, frowning in concentration, hoping that the item in question had not been thrown out or otherwise missing.

After a few moments of searching, he found it, producing a rather fancy looking ring. The gold seemed to shine in the dim light from the room's lamp, a diamond set in the center, four rubies in the cardinal directions joined by four sapphires for the remainder. He had found it one day, just sitting in the street. Being his usual "take advantage of any situation" self, he had decided to use it for his own gain.

Taking such an item to the police was certainly out of the question. After all, someone who could lose such an item clearly had no real need for it, right? So, he had tried to pawn it at several shops in town, none wanting to take something so obviously stolen. Such a fancy item in the hands of someone as poor as Gintoki was indeed something to be wary of, and so he had been stuck with the item. At this moment, he figured it was just some sort of delayed good karma getting back to him, tossing the ring triumphantly into the air before catching it. The size was pretty good, and he knew that girls liked jewelry.

At least, human girls. It occurred to him only briefly that Kagura seldom wore any such items, often looking very tomboy-ish in her dress. The only decoration she normally wore was the clips in her hair to hold the buns in place. "Oh well, only one way to find out." he muttered to himself, putting the fancy ring in his pocket before looking for the one other item he needed from the home.

His face setting in his usual lazy expression, he rummaged through the closet, producing an old fashioned fishing rod. The dark stick with string on it had served him well in the past, and while not necessarily best for real fishing, he figured it would serve his plan well enough for now.

Hanging the pole over his right shoulder, Gin exited the small apartment, making small, steady steps as he walked. Gradually he picked his step up a bit, imagining the scene that could possibly unfold if his plan worked just right. The crunch of snow underfoot didn't bother him as much as earlier, and actually found the purity of the snow comforting. If he knew Kagura as well as he thought he did, it was a sure success. Hopefully he did know the girl well enough.

Finding a nearby convenience store, Gin made his way inside, half expecting to run into Hasegawa as he did. Looking over the aisles of foods, he caught what he was looking for. Grabbing a few of the familiar red boxes, Gintoki brought them up to the counter, watching as the young man at the counter rung up the items. Once the items were payed for, Gintoki made his way towards the Shimura dojo, putting no thought into what he would say when he got there.

The time seemed to pass quickly, and before he knew it was face to face with the large heavy doors. Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Gin cast his gaze to either side, looking for signs of onlookers. Seeing none, he made his way to the left, leaping easily up onto the thick stone wall's top. He seldom liked using the great reflexes and strength of his body, but it did feel good to give it a go once in a while.

He smirked as he imagined the surprised reactions on the faces of his friends when his plan kicked in. Dropping carefully from the high wall, Gin made his way steadily towards the large home in the center, barely able to suppress a grumble of dissatisfaction with their lot in life. While he was stuck worrying about rent from month to month, Shin and his sister enjoyed such a comparatively luxurious space.

Shaking the thoughts of how to make Shinpachi suffer for this out of his head, Gin heard a few sounds of conversation from inside, ducking into a nearby bush before he was spotted. Slowly creeping away in a crouched position, he sighed as the conversation died down, leaving him on his own once more.

Taking a look at the roof's shingles, Gintoki leapt up, with the grace of a ninja, cursing his choice of footwear as the boots sounded rather loudly on the clay tiles. Tensing for a second, Gin sighed in relief as none inside seemed to notice. Searching through his memory for a basic layout of the dojo, the man felt the same crunch of snow under his feet as he made his way towards where he hoped the living room was.

Reaching a suitable spot, Gin wiped a bit of snow away, making a small spot to sit on. Taking the hook of the fishing pole, the man produced one of the boxes of the salted treat, opening it as he pushed the hook through the top of the box, shaking it a bit to be sure it was on tight enough. Satisfied, he crept towards the edge, pulling himself into a crouch as he hesitantly dropped the baited hook down into plain view.

He did not have to wait long for results, as a short time later a strong grip grabbed the box, nearly pulling him down along with the pole. With an amused smirk, he gave the line one good pull, feeling his body lean back from the exertion. The line went loose, and he hoped that the results were good.

As he lay back in the snow, a small ball of red made its way through the air, his eyes widening as she crashed heavily into his body. With a groan of pain, he sat himself upright, rubbing the back of his head in pain. Opening one of his crimson eyes, he caught sight of the girl in a similar position, ruffling the red hair on her head as she rubbed a sore spot.

"Hey, Kagura-chan." he said simply, watching her body tense as his voice reached her, the box of sukonbu held tightly against her chest. Her head slowly turned towards him, and a flood of emotions seemed to cross her features. With a lazy groan, he reached out, running his bare fingers through her soft red hair.

"I came to take you home, baka." he said in his usual blunt tone of voice, offering the most reassuring smile he could as he put his other hand in his pocket. Time to find out of the gamble would pay off.

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**Good to see that things aren't always so serious, eh? Even in a serious situation, still room for comedy. Next time we find out if the pair can make up, and what exactly caused the argument. Look forward to it, as well as a really sugary Valentine's story on Saturday. Fans of the fluff look forward to that.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Temporary Insanity (Part 3)**

**Rating: K**

**Pairing: Gintoki x Kagura, obviously.**

**Well, here is the final part of this short little story. Not sure where the inspiration for this came from, but I think it turned out alright. But let me know what you all thought of it. Enjoy the conclusion to Temporary Insanity.

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Feeling a bit restless, Kagura had decided to get up, walk around the dojo a bit. The cool air calmed her frazzled nerves a bit, yet did nothing to soothe the ache she felt in her chest. The cool floorboards gave the feel of familiarity, a pained smile finding its way across her porcelain face. It was all so normal, each step reminding her of the home she had come to occupy, as well as the scruffy headed samurai that had served as her closest friend.

Letting her feet come to a stop near a large opened door, the girl stood in place. Turning slightly, she watched a few stray flakes of snow find their way through the air, resting comfortably on the ground with the other fallen flakes. All the landscape around was covered in white, no signs of the worn practice grounds or the blades of grass.

But as she looked, something seemed out of place. Against the solid white backdrop, Kagura thought she noticed a red box, dangling mysteriously from the air. Turning her full attention to the sight, the girl blinked a few times, thinking that he nerves had finally gotten the better of her. Going so far as to rub the sight from her vision, she was surprised to see it still floating, slight movements as it seemed to taunt her.

Not feeling up to the task of keeping herself presentable, the girl had let her hair down, the silky locks brushing lightly against her neck as she moved. Almost on instinct, her body began to move forward, hands outstretched for the red box. For an instant, she debated on whether she should take it, but her stomach seemed to gain the ultimate control. As she grabbed it, her blue eyes narrowed in confusion, feeling a light resistance from her pulling.

Before she could react, she felt an intense force from somewhere above the box, its red shape quickly moving through the air. Kagura's eyes widened, feeling her own body begin to float through the air. The force of whatever was pulling her was incredible, and with only the one pull she had found herself level with the roof. But the most surprising thing was what greeted her as she helplessly flew through the air, clutching the small box for dear life.

Once her vision had cleared the edge of the roof, a familiar sight greeted her, and the wound on her heart healed just a bit, her eyes shooting open into bright blue saucers. There, near the edge of the roof sat Gintoki, her precious Gin-chan, with a fishing pole in hand. Looking quickly from the pole to her box of salty treats, Kagura noticed a thin line joining the two items, wincing inwardly that she had fallen for something so simple.

The surprise quickly turned to a bit of mischievous malice, realizing that Gintoki had clearly not thought it out very well himself. With an evil smirk that she hoped he would notice, the girl prepared for impact, noticing that her body was flying straight at the older man. The desired effect came in, noticing his crimson eyes shoot open in surprise, just as the girl's body plowed square into his chest.

Both bodies went hurtling backwards into the snow, a loud thud echoing throughout the otherwise silent dojo. As the sound died down, soft groans of pain replaced the echoing thud, hands running against sore spots.

"Oww. Damn, you're heavy." Gin muttered, rubbing the back of his head as he tried to breathe normally, feeling a large impact against his chest. As he rubbed the sore spot, he opened an eye, noticing the girl a short distance in front of him in a similar position. Taking a small risk, he took his free hand, playfully running it through her soft red hair. He noticed that it was not in its usual bun.

"Hey, Kagura-chan." he said simply, watching as her body tensed with his words. The girl slowly stopped rubbing the back of her head, gradually bringing her deep blue eyes to focus on him. A torrent of emotions seemed to be running through her, her eyes trying to focus on one emotion. With a casual smirk, he ran his fingers once more through her red hair, letting the strands fall through his grasp.

"I came to bring you home, baka." The girl's eyes widened in what he might have thought to be a sort of guarded hope, slowly edging away from him as he fished in his pocket. He nearly chuckled out loud as she clutched the box of sukonbu against her chest, as though he were going to steal her precious treasure.

Grasping the item in his pocket, Gin pulled his balled fist from the opening of cloth, letting his other hand fall idly from her head, resting against his thigh as he looked at her. The crystalline eyes focused on his closed hand, and he could tell she was curious about it. Taking a deep breath, Gintoki brought the hand up, passing the small item towards the girl. Almost on instinct, the girl shot a hand up, capturing the golden ring in her hand.

Bringing the hand close to her face, the girl unclenched her fingers, letting the item come into view. Her eyes widened again, watching as the gems on the ring sparkled in the meager Sunlight. She had no idea what was happening, and so she gave her friend a curious glance, looking for some kind of explanation. All the while she kept the box of sukonbu squarely against her chest, not wanting to let go of the salty treat.

"I'm sorry." Gintoki answered the unasked question, rubbing the back of his head nervously, his gaze shifting to the snow on the roof as he spoke. Kagura felt a warm smile cross her lips, the ring sitting squarely on her palm as she looked at her friend, waiting for him to continue.

"I overreacted, and you don't have to leave if you don't want to." Even through his words, Kagura could tell that he meant something else, but smirked at his social awkwardness. Sword fights, insane terrorists, crazy aliens he could handle all that easily. But Gintoki had a really hard time dealing with people at times. Kagura let loose a small giggle at his awkwardness, delighting in the fact that he would do that for her. Yet, something still confused her.

"What's with…" she paused, thrusting the ring holding hand towards him, watching his face light into a subtle shade of pink. The young girl cocked a head to the side, confused by his embarrassment.

"It's, you know… that kind of… thing." She truly had no idea what he was going on about, looking at the beautiful ring carefully as he spoke. Looking at the gems adorning the golden surface, Kagura thought it must have cost a fortune, and immediately began to think of ways to get some cash from it.

"What kind of thing?" she asked, genuinely curious as he stuttered through his explanation, seemingly struggling with something difficult.

"Do you want to stay?" he stopped stuttering, catching her gaze with his own, his deep red orbs burning into her soft blues, increasing her heart rate a bit with his intensity.

"U-uh." she whispered, mentally slapping herself for how weak it sounded. Something about the way he was looking at her made it hard to breathe, much less speak, and so nodded gently in case her hadn't heard her.

"Then…" Gintoki began, reaching out to take the ring from her hand. For a second, Kagura was more confused, thinking that maybe he was taking back his gift. He looked at it for a second, then looked back at her, that same gaze fixing her in her spot. With his other hand, he took her left hand, bringing it carefully level with his face.

"Gin-chan…" she tried to ask a question, but found the words simply stuck in her throat. It was so eerie to her, seeing the young man she had come to know looking at her in such a way. It made her heart feel odd, fluttery even.

"You don't have to go anywhere." As he spoke, Gin slid the ring onto the appropriate finger, smirking to himself at the surprising fit. Almost like the ring had been made for her. After a second of admiration, he leaned back again, hand resting lazily on his knee.

"What is this, Gin-chan?" Kagura asked, bringing the finger towards her face, a light flush on her snow white skin as she looked at it. Was he really asking what she thought he was? Surely not, no way. Then, why?

"It's a ring, idiot." he answered in his usual manner, his gaze lifting to the snowy sky above them. In that instant, all the admiration she felt for him seemed like nothing, her heart nearly stopping at the sight of him.

He looked so out of place there, as though he was some ethereal form simply passing through this world. The white of his coat matched the pure white snow beneath and all around him, stray bands of light reflecting from the pure surface. The silver hair that was his trademark simply added to the eerie look of him, the messy locks of hair catching a few flakes of snow.

But the biggest impact was when she caught a glimpse at his face. His gaze seemed to focus on something far away, something that she couldn't comprehend. As though he were almost looking back in time, to a time in his past. The normally goofy grin was gone, replaced with a more somber frown.

The normally strong, confident Gintoki was replaced with a weaker, softer looking one. In that moment, with the snow falling around him, Kagura could see the man Gintoki used to be. A man who had seen things that no man should see, one who was completely alone in the world. Kagura felt a familiar pang in her own heart, clutching at the spot where the muscle beat, her own face echoing his sense of loneliness.

The girl had to blink a few times, as the man in his mid-twenties nearly faded, replaced with a mid teens version of the lazy samurai. His normally warm reddish brown eyes replaced with cold crimson, a reflection of his numerous battles in a harsh war. As his gaze shifted back to her, the teen Gin was replaced with her normal Gin-chan, the same look of lonely determination in his eyes. He didn't have to say anything.

Looking at the ring on her finger, Kagura knew what he was asking of her. The smile returned to her face as she leapt at the older man, tears nearly springing to her eyes as she tackled him to the snow. Wrapping her arms in a near strangle hold around his neck, the girl simply sat there, trying to comfort him, while comforting herself at the same time.

Watching so many dramas on television, Kagura knew what a ring on that particular finger meant. But knowing Gin the way she did, she figured that he was asking something else. He was not asking for marriage, necessarily. It was his way of telling her he liked having her around, how lonely he was without her. She knew, because it was the same feeling she had without him. Nothing seemed as interesting or entertaining without Gin there to share in it with her.

"Alright, Gin-chan!" she spoke, nuzzling her head against his chest like a contented cat, feeling his arms gently wrap around her shoulders. He smiled to himself, having gotten the answer he wanted. Gin knew that she was too young for anything like marriage, but if he had her around, he knew, he would never be lonely.

Slowly, he let a hand trace up her back, brushing the strands of red hair tickling his cheeks back behind her ears, smiling as he looked into her friendly, inviting blue eyes. They simply lay like that for a while, neither wanting the moment to end. But nature intervened, sending a cold gust through that brought shivers through both.

A near frenzy between the two, as they both leapt off of the cold roof, making their way inside the home. The red box of sukonbu clutched in her hand, Kagura made it inside first, diving for the small kotatsu, Gintoki following only a short instant later. The pair shivered, trying to warm up as quickly as possible, legs gently brushing against each other's beneath the table.

"Damn, it's cold." Gintoki muttered, rubbing his arms with his hands as he discarded the snow covered jacket and gloves. Sitting across from him, the girl similarly removed her now wet layers, tossing them quickly to the side as she rubbed her own slender arms for warmth. After a few minutes, as they began to feel warm, they turned their attention to the tenant of the home, then back to each other.

"Oi, Shinpachi-kun, how about some blankets over here?" Gin asked in his demanding tone, watching the younger boy's face twitch in annoyance.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE, YOU IDIOT!?" the boy screamed at the older man, fist shaking with the promise of punishment for something. Gintoki simply raised an eyebrow curiously, looking at Kagura for some kind of answer.

"Who knows, maybe it's just stress?" she answered, holding her arms up plaintively as she shook her head from side to side.

"Ah, that must be it. I'll just get them myself." Gintoki said, standing from his seat. As he made his way deeper into the house, arms still being rubbed for warmth, Shinpachi took a seat at the small table on a side between the two. Watching as his friend disappeared in search of blankets, Shin leaned in towards Kagura, curiosity in his eyes.

"Oi, what happened?" the depressed looking Kagura from only an hour earlier was completely gone, replaced with the near female clone of Gintoki. She looked at him somewhat oddly, as though his question was completely unwarranted.

"You guys got over it already? Must have not been that bad an argument…" Even as he said it, Shinpachi found himself wondering what could cause such a disastrous situation, then be fixed seemingly so easily. The glasses wearing boy rubbed his temples in frustration, before his eyes focused on the glittering jewels adorning Kagura's finger.

"Oi, what the hell is that!?" Shin asked, pointing accusingly at the ornamental jewelry. It had not been there when she had showed up earlier that morning, and he figured that Gin must have given it to her. But where would he come up with such a thing? And why would he… Shinpachi's eyes widened in shock, the thought ending his processes.

"Ah, this? Gin-chan gave it to me." Kagura answered seamlessly, slipping a stick of the salty treat from its box, letting it hang from her lips as she slumped over on the kotatsu, letting the salty flavor sink in.

"W-what do you mean? He gave it to you? Do you know what that means?" Shinpachi asked, his face a flustered red color, the scandal already running rampant in his mind. Kagura didn't seem to think anything of it, her face showing a completely normal, easy expression. With an exasperated sigh, the young boy slumped forward, the tension throbbing in his head.

The idea of Gintoki and Kagura getting married was a disturbing thought for the young teen, trying his best to shake the thought from his mind. He listened intently as those familiar, lazy footsteps resounded through the room, shifting his gaze towards his older friend. Gin was holding a pair of blankets, looking at them in a confused manner, lips drawn in a look of concentration.

"Ah, you guys only had two left, so I guess this will be a bit tricky." Gintoki muttered, walking towards the kotatsu. Kagura looked at him somewhat confused, shifting her gaze from Gin to Shinpach.

"It'll be fine, Gin-chan." With that, Gintoki tossed one to Shinpachi, who draped it over his shoulders. Shin watched as Gintoki made his way to the side of the small table where Kagura was sitting. His eyes widened a bit as Kagura made room for the older man, taking a seat on his lap as he sat down, draping the dark blue blanket over them.

Kagura looked quite content in that position, the large blanket able to cover both of them to trap the warmth from the little heater. Shinpachi felt a bit uncomfortable at the sudden happy atmosphere from the pair, almost completely disregarding his presence. Just then, he remembered that not an hour earlier, the pair was in some kind of situation, and he found himself curious about it all over again.

"Neh, Gin-san, what happened this morning?" he asked his older friend, watching as Gintoki's face drew into a thinking pose. Shin's eyes narrowed, thinking that it couldn't possibly be that hard to remember something from the same day.

"I don't remember." Gin answered oddly, to a shrug from the younger girl in his lap.

"What the hell do you mean by that? It just happened this morning!" Shinpachi yelled, pointing an accusing finger at the samurai. "And what's with giving Kagura such a gift?" he asked, referring to the jewelry on the girl's finger. Gintoki and Kagura's nonchalant attitude about everything made them an ideal pair, and Shinpachi wondered if he would get any kind of answer.

"Well, it looks great on me doesn't it?" Kagura answered playfully, as though that answered the question entirely. Gintoki simply nodded his head in agreement, further aggravating Shinpachi's nerves.

"Ah, yeah yeah, it looks great. But why did you give it to her, Gin-san?" Shinpachi asked, more calm, worn out from dealing with these two idiots already.

"Hmmm." Gintoki rubbed his chin, as though trying to remember the reason. While he thought, Shinpachi watched as Gintoki's hand slowly snaked toward the box of sukonbu securely in the Yato girl's hand, and the situation slowly came into focus.

Just as his hand gripped a piece of the dried snack, Gintoki winced in pain, the girl having caught him in the act. She pinched the skin tightly on the back of his hand, same innocent smile on her face the whole time. As he withdrew his hand, Gintoki jumped up, making some comment about the girl being too stingy.

With a sigh, Shinpachi found himself mentally berating himself for wondering about their fight in the first place. Only these idiots would almost break their friendship over sukonbu. As they argued back and forth, seemingly getting heated over nothing, Shinpachi felt himself smile, an amusing thought occurring to him.

"What's so funny?" the pair asked in near unison, turning their attention from their fight to the glasses wearing boy. With another amused smile, he looked at the odd duo before speaking.

"Well, you guys just look like an old married couple." With that, the pair looked at one another, seemingly thinking about what he had said.

"Oi, it's not good to call a lady old, bastard." Kagura spoke first, a frown on her face as she looked at the young teen.

"Ah, your sister would be so disappointed with you, Shinpachi-kun." Gintoki added, a look of mock disappointment on his face. Gathering his winter attire, Gin watched as Kagura did the same. As soon as they were dressed, Gin wrapped an arm around the girl, "comforting" her from the "insult" that Shinpachi had given her.

"Let's go, Gin-chan." Kagura whined, leaning exaggeratingly into his embrace, drawing a heavy sigh from Gin's first lackey.

"Those idiots deserve each other." he muttered, letting his head rest on his arms as he sat under the table. Shinpachi knew that they would probably have plenty of arguments, but he realized what the ring really meant to both of them.

It meant that whenever they fought, they would always be able to make up. As he settled in for a light nap, Shinpachi felt a bit of a smile on his face. Even though their idiocy was probably permanent, at least their insanity was only temporary.

He imagined the happy smiles on the pair of oddballs, and Shin knew they really didn't deserve each other. They needed one another, and he they would somehow manage to get through any fights, just like this day.

* * *

**Yeah, a lot of you probably saw the cause of the argument coming a mile away :P I don't know why I put in that bit in the middle, with Gintoki looking at the sky. Just seemed to materialize. When I picture this pairing, sometimes it really does look like a happy kitten and its owner, pure sweetness. Anyway, let me know what you all thought of it. Next update will be for Family Affair, just gotta finalize a few things in my head about where I want it to go. Look forward to that and some more GinKagu fluff, loyal readers. **


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